GB2406505A

GB2406505A - Folding garment hanger

Info

Publication number: GB2406505A
Application number: GB0323070A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter William Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-10-02
Filing date: 2003-10-02
Publication date: 2005-04-06
Also published as: GB0323070D0

Abstract

A folding garment hanger (1) comprises two arms (3, 5) hinged together at their inner ends and movable about the axis of the hinge (13) between a first or closed position in which the two arms (3, 5) lie substantially alongside each other and a second or open position in which the arms (3, 5) extend away from each other towards a 180{ angle in which clothes can be hung thereon, hanging means (17) in the region of the hinge axis to enable the garment hanger to be hung on a clothes rail or the like and snap means (23) for retaining the arms (3, 5) in their open position.

Description

- ' . . . . . - . I 2406505 - 1

FOLDING GARMENT HANGER

This invention relates to a folding garment hanger.

The usual types of garment hanger comprise a bow, the ends of which extend downwardly in use and a hook is attached to the central part of the bow and extending upwards by which the hanger can be hung from a rail or other support.

While these hangers are perfectly suitable for use clothes, such as jackets, which open at the front, some difficulty is experienced with closed clothes such as sweaters and "T"-shirts since the hanger is often too wide to insert through the neck of the garment and, although it can usually be inserted from the bottom of the garment, there is a tendency for the hook to foul the garment, sometimes with disastrous results.

The present invention seeks to obviate or reduce the above disadvantages found with standard types of hangers.

According to the invention a folding garment hanger comprises two arms hinged together at their inner ends and movable about the axis of the hinge between a first or closed position in which the two arms lie substantially alongside each other and a second or open position in which the arms extend away from each other towards a 180 angle in which clothes can be hung thereon, hanging means in the region of the hinge axis to enable the garment hanger to be hung on a clothes rail or the like and snap means for retaining the arms in their open position.

In the open position the outer ends of the arms may extend away from each other at an angle between 135 and 155 , preferably at an angle of 145 .

e eeve e he e e e e e e e e ee e e e e e e e e e e. ë. e - 2 The hanging means may comprise a hook extending upwardly from the hinge and the stem of the hook may constitute the hinge pin of the hanger.

The snap means may comprise a resilient detent on one arm cooperating with a slot in the other arm.

One of the arms may have an extension extending over and above the hinge end of the other arm, the resilient detent being carried by this extension and cooperating with a slot in the adjacent surface of the said other arm.

The detent may be carried by a resilient arm extending in the horizontal or general direction of the arms or by a resilient arm extending in an upward direction or at right angles to the general direction of the arms.

The slot may extend across the said other arm and its bottom has a peak adjoining two slanting surfaces up which the detent can slide.

The gradient of the slope in the direction of closing movement of the arms may be greater than that of the other slope.

The detent may be located to one side of the arm extension such that, in the open position of the hanger, the detent lies on the side of the peak at which the slope has the higher gradient.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a garment hanger of the invention in an open position; c ce e ase. ee. - 3

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 11 - II of figure 1 illustrating the snap means for holding the hanger arms in their open position, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of part of the hanger shown in figure 1 but showing a variation of the snap means.

Referring now to figure 1 of the drawings, a garment hanger 1 comprises two arms 3 and 5 of a suitable plastics material which are hinged together at their inner adjacent ends by a hinge 7.

The arms 3 and 5 are movable about the axis of the hinge 7 from the open position shown in figure 1 to a closed position (not shown) in which the arms 3 and 5 lie substantially alongside each other. This can be achieved by pulling the outer ends of the arms 3 and 5 up out of the plane of the paper and towards each other. While, in the open position, the arms may make an angle of 180 relative to each other, this angle may be varied so as to produce slightly forwardly extending arms, such as is seen on many standard coat hangers. In this case, the angle would be more in the region of' 145 or thereabouts. This latter angle may be achieved by curvature of the arms so that while, at the pivot axis, the arms extend at an angle of 180 , the outer ends of the arms are at an angle between 135 and 155 , say 145 .

The hinge is constructed by each arm 3 or 5 having two extensions 9 or 11 which are interdigitated to provide an overlap with apertures through which a hinge pin 13 can pass. In the embodiment shown, the hinge pin is formed by an extension of the leg 15 of a hook 17 by means of which the hanger can be hung from a rail or the like. The lower end of the hinge pin 13 extends below the arms 3 and 5, passes through a washer 19 and has a flattened end 21 which prevents it from being pulled up through the washer 19. However, other ways of securing the hinge pin 13 could be used. For example, the end of the hinge pin could be crimped or formed with a spherical ball on its end so as to make the end have a e e e ace e c c e c e e e e c c e e e a c e ce e C e c e e e e c e e e e e see ee ece e e - 4 larger diameter, in at least one direction, than the diameter of the hinge bores in the arms 3 and 5.

While it is not necessary for the arms 3 and 5 to be retained in their closed position, it is necessary that they be retained in their open position to avoid the hanger folding when a garment is positioned thereon. To this end a snap retention device is provided, generally indicated at 23. Some details of this snap retention device can best be seen from figure 2.

The arm 3 is provided with an extension 25 which extends upwards and in the direction of the arm 5 so as to have a portion 27 which extends over the top of the arm 5. This portion 27 has a cut out 29 of a shape of an "L" with the stem extending horizontally and the foot extending vertically downwards. In this way a resilient lever 31 is formed with a downwardly extending detent 33 as best seen in figure 2, the resilience of the lever 31 and thus the detent 33 depending on the resilience of the plastics material used and the length and thickness of the lever 31.

The detent 33 cooperates with a slot 35 formed in the upper surface of the arm 5.

The slot has a variable bottom surface which starts with a sharp rise 37 from the left culminating in a peak 39 which continues in a gentler slope 41 to the right of the peak 39. From the open position of the hanger as shown in figure 2, movement of the arm 5 forward out of the drawing sheet in figure 1 or to the left in figure 2 will cause the detent 33 to rise up the slope 37 and over the peak 39, releasing the arm 5 relative to the arm 3 about the hinge pin 13 so that, as the detent 33 slides down the slope 41, the arm 5 is free to move without constraint to enable it to take up its closed position alongside the arm 3.

Once arms 3 and 5 have been inserted into the neck of the garment, the arms 3 and 5 are pushed apart and positioned under the shoulders of the garment. As the arms 3 and 5 approach their fully open position, the detent 33 on the e e ë c ce e ë ce e e e ece ëse e e - 5 extension 25 of the arm 3 will enter the slot 35 and be forced up the slope 41 and over the peak 39 so as to drop down the slope 37, securing the relative position of the arms 3 and 5. The retention force holding the arms in place depends on the force needed to push the detent 33 back up the slope 37 A variation of the snap retention device is shown in figure 3. Here the extension extends only over the inner end of the arm 5, the arm itself having an upwardly extending portion 41 so that it has a surface 43 which extends vertically upwards adjacent to the end 45 of the extension 25 of the arm 3. This end 45 has a cut out 47 of the shape of an L.' with the stem extending vertically upwards and the foot extending horizontally towards the surface 43. In this way a resilient lever 49 is formed with a horizontally extending detent 51.

The detent 51 cooperates with a slot 53 formed in the surface 45 of the arm 5.

The slot 53 has a similar construction to the slot 35 shown in figured.

It will be appreciated that additions to or modifications of the above described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the detent has been shown as carried by an extension of one arm and the slot formed in the other, the slot could be formed in the extension with the detent carried by the other arm.

Also, while the arms have been described as being made of a suitable plastics material, other suitable materials such as wood or metal could be used.

Claims

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C C C C C C C C C C C C C C - 6 CLAIMS: 1. A folding garment hanger comprising two arms hinged together at their inner ends and movable about the axis of the hinge between a first or closed position in which the two arms lie substantially alongside each other and a second or open position in which the arms extend away from each other towards a 180 angle in which clothes can be hung thereon, hanging means in the region of the hinge axis to enable the garment hanger to be hung on a clothes rail or the like and snap means for retaining the arms in their open position.
2. A hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the open position the outer ends of the arms extend away from each other at an angle between 135 and 1 550.
3. A hanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the open position the outer ends of the arms extend away from each other at an angle of 145 .
4. A hanger as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the hanging means comprises a hook extending upwardly from the hinge.
5. A hanger as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stem of the hook constitutes the hinge pin of the hanger.
6 A hanger as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the snap means comprises a resilient detent on one arm cooperating with a slot in the other arm.
7. A hanger as claimed in claim 6, wherein one of the arms has an extension extending over and above the hinge end of the other arm, the resilient detent being carried by this extension and cooperating with a slot in the adjacent surface of the said other arm.

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8. A hanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein the detent is carried by a resiilent arm extending in the horizontal or general direction of the arms.
9. A hanger as claimed in claim 7 wherein the detent is carried by a resilient arm extending in an upward direction or at right angles to the general direction of the arms.
10. A hanger as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein the slot extends across the said other arm and its bottom has a peak adjoining two slanting surfaces up which the detent can slide.
11. A hanger as claimed in claim 10 wherein the gradient of the slope in the direction of closing movement of the arms is greater than that of the other slope.
12. A hanger as claimed in claim 11 wherein the detent is located to one side of the arm extension such that, in the open position of the hanger, the detent lies on the side of the peak at which the slope has the higher gradient.
13. A folding garment hanger substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.